Marche, Arkansas
Encyclopedia
Marche is an unincorporated community
in Pulaski County, Arkansas
, United States
. It lies 12 miles (19.3 km) north of Little Rock
. It is not a census-designated place
.
to establish a settlement in 1872. The settlement, which would have been named Bartlett Springs, did not succeed, and the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad acquired the property and named it Warren Station. A plan to turn the area into a resort for residents of Little Rock had failed by 1877.
The 22000 acre (89 km²; 34.4 sq mi) parcel of land was subsequently purchased by Count Timothy von Choinski, a Polish nobleman with plans to settle the land and set up farms for Polish immigrants. He had become concerned with the living conditions of Poles in the slums of large cities such as New York
and Chicago
, and wanted to improve their living conditions while restoring the agricultural environment that had been the mode of life for most Poles before their arrival in America. He purchased the site in March 1877, and named it Marche (French for "marketplace").
Twenty-two immigrants visited the site with Choinski in May, and agreed to settle half of it. Various groups of Poles started settling the land the summer of that year. Some returned when they discovered that the land had not yet been cleared, but eighty-five remained as the nucleus of a new settlement. By fall of 1878, the new community had attracted the attention of the Holy Ghost Fathers
, a congregation of Roman Catholic priests and brothers. Father Anthony Jaworski built a small chapel named for the Immaculate Heart of Mary
on a hill that the immigrants called Jasna Góra after the important pilgrimage site
in Częstochowa
. A larger building was constructed in 1896, though it was destroyed by fire in 1932; a replacement was dedicated in May 1933.
Though the expansion of a federal camp in World War II required forty families to relocate, the community continued to expand. The population in 1941 was 72. The Immaculate Heart of Mary Church completed a parish center in 1999, and the church continues to celebrate Karnawał
in celebration of the community's Polish heritage.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Pulaski County, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It lies 12 miles (19.3 km) north of Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
. It is not a census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
.
History
Marche traces its roots back to an attempt by Judge Liberty BartlettLiberty Bartlett
Liberty Bartlett was a circuit judge in Arkansas.Bartlett was born in 1810 in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He lived in California for a time, and later moved to Arkansas. He became a circuit judge of the fifth circuit in Little Rock on November 12, 1854.Judge Bartlett attempted to establish a...
to establish a settlement in 1872. The settlement, which would have been named Bartlett Springs, did not succeed, and the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad acquired the property and named it Warren Station. A plan to turn the area into a resort for residents of Little Rock had failed by 1877.
The 22000 acre (89 km²; 34.4 sq mi) parcel of land was subsequently purchased by Count Timothy von Choinski, a Polish nobleman with plans to settle the land and set up farms for Polish immigrants. He had become concerned with the living conditions of Poles in the slums of large cities such as New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and wanted to improve their living conditions while restoring the agricultural environment that had been the mode of life for most Poles before their arrival in America. He purchased the site in March 1877, and named it Marche (French for "marketplace").
Twenty-two immigrants visited the site with Choinski in May, and agreed to settle half of it. Various groups of Poles started settling the land the summer of that year. Some returned when they discovered that the land had not yet been cleared, but eighty-five remained as the nucleus of a new settlement. By fall of 1878, the new community had attracted the attention of the Holy Ghost Fathers
Holy Ghost Fathers
The Congregation of the Holy Spirit is a Roman Catholic congregation of priests, lay brothers, and since Vatican II, lay associates...
, a congregation of Roman Catholic priests and brothers. Father Anthony Jaworski built a small chapel named for the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary originally The Sacred Heart of Mary is a devotional name used to refer to the interior life of Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for God, her maternal love for her Son, Jesus, and her compassionate love for...
on a hill that the immigrants called Jasna Góra after the important pilgrimage site
Jasna Góra Monastery
The Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland is the most famous shrine to the Virgin Mary in Poland and the country's greatest place of pilgrimage - for many its spiritual capital. The image of Black Madonna of Częstochowa, to which miraculous powers are attributed, is Jasna Góra's most...
in Częstochowa
Czestochowa
Częstochowa is a city in south Poland on the Warta River with 240,027 inhabitants . It has been situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since 1999, and was previously the capital of Częstochowa Voivodeship...
. A larger building was constructed in 1896, though it was destroyed by fire in 1932; a replacement was dedicated in May 1933.
Though the expansion of a federal camp in World War II required forty families to relocate, the community continued to expand. The population in 1941 was 72. The Immaculate Heart of Mary Church completed a parish center in 1999, and the church continues to celebrate Karnawał
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
in celebration of the community's Polish heritage.